Scott Powers
State Rep. Jason Brodeur wants life insurance companies to keep their hands off customers DNA.
Broder, a Sanford Republican, filed House Bill 855 Monday forbidding insurance companies from using genetic testing to assess risks for life insurance, for disability insurance, and long-term care insurance.
There’s already a federal law keeping that information private, but Brodeur said he wants that expanded to state law.
“We want to make sure in the future, as more and more DNA tests become available, that that kind of data is not used in the insurance market for risk assessment,” Brodeur said. “What this is saying is: that information is yours, and there is no right on the part of the insurance community to access that.”
The bill has not yet been referred anyway. Brodeur expects it to have reviews both in judiciary and health committees.
Insurance companies should be assessing clients’ risks based on current health and lifestyle, he said.
“It’s not a giant issue. I would see this more as a precautionary measure,” he said. “As we make advances in health care, we don’t want to turn it into a database … where your whole life is determined when someone takes your blood when you’re born.”
